C R  
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
A PROCLAMATION, Anent the Sumptuary Act, 1684.  
CHARLES, by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; To Our Lovits, Macers of Our Privy Council, and Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, specially constitute, Greeting:  
Forasmuch as We, with advice and consent of Our Estates of Parliament, have taken special care to restrain the expensive vanity of wearing , and the exorbitant expenses at Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials; and particularly by the twelith and fourteenth Acts of O●r current Parliament, The wearing of all Flowered, Stripped, Figured, Checkered, printed or painted Silk Stuffs, or Ribbans, are expressly discharged to be worn by any of Our Subjects within this Kingdom of what degree or quality soever, in manner, and under 〈◊〉 Certifications contained in the said twelfth Act. And whereas the said fourteenth Act of Our said current Parliament, Entitled, Act Restraining the exorbitant Expenses of Marriages, Baptisms, Burials, and penny Weddings, the same is regulate in the way and manner th●●…in prescribed; yet several Women, even in Our Capital City of Edinburgh, and elsewhere throughout this Our Kingdom, have presumed to go abroad with  made of the said prohibited Stuffs, upon pretext that they are only Night-Gowns, ●ndresses, or Mant●●●… whereas all manner of wearing of the said's Stuffs is expressly prohibited and discharged, under the penalty of five hundred Marks o● Money, toties quoties, by and attour the Confiscation of the said's . As also, several persons to elude the Law in downright mockery, and contempt of the same, have presumed to wear and make use of long black Mandel-Coats (which are indeed more expensive to Our Liege's than the Clocks formerly worn at Burials and other occasions, upon the death of their Relations) albeit the wearing of Mourning Clocks be by the said fourteenth Act discharged, under the penalty of one hundred pounds Scots; As also, several persons have lately run to that height of extravagancy, as to cause cover the Coffins of Persons to be Buried, with fine black Cloth and Fringes, of purpose to elude the intent of the said Act of Parliament, made for restraining the exorbitant Expenses of Burials, etc. And divers persons have presumed, since the date of the said Act, to make penny Weddings, where great confluence of Our Subjects have resorted, which is a most extravagant expense to Our Liege's; albeit by the said fourteenth Act, The Master of the House, where the said penny Weddings are keeped, either within Burgh or Suburbs, or within two miles of the same are ordainted to be Fined in the sum of five hundred marks. For preventing of which abuses, and putting the said's Laws strictly in Execution; We, with advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, Do hereby strictly Prohibit and Discharge all Our Subjects within this Our Kingdom, of whatsomever degree or quality, to wear, and go abroad with any of the said's prohibit Stuffs, either in Gowns, Man●ois, Undresses, Night-gowns, or any other manner of wearing whatsomever. As likewise D● Prohibit and Discharge all wearing of the said's long black Mandel Coats at Burials, or any other occasions: and more especially, discharges all Merchants, Tailors, or others, to Set, or Let out the said's long Coats for Hire, and that under the pain contained in the said fourteenth Act of Our current Parliament, to be inflicted on these who shall Hire or Let the same, as well as the Wearers. And prohibit and discharge any person whatsoever to make use of any Coffins for their Friends or Relations covered with Silk, Cloth, Stuffs, Baizes or F●●●ges; or whereupon there is any Carving, or Mullering, or Brass or Iron Work thereupon for Ornament, allowinog only so much as shall be for necessary use: Discharging all Carpenters and others, of making such Coffins, or any to make use of them, under the penalty of an hundred pound Scots, toties quoties: As also, Discharges the saids penny Weddings, under the foresaid penalty, contained in the said Act of Parliament. And do hereby strictly Require and Command all Our Judges and Magistrates in Burgh and Landward, respective, to call and conveen before them, the Contraveeners of the foresaids Laws and Acts respective, and to inflict on them the Penalties contained therein, after the Form and Tenor thereo● and of this Our Proclamation, in all points, under the Penalty of being called and pursued before Our Privy Council, for their neglect And to the effect Our Pleasure in the Premises may be made known; Our Will is, and We Charge you strictly, and Command, that incontinent, these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat Cross of Edi●burgh, and remanent Mercat Crosses in the head Burghs of the Shires of this Kingdom, and other places needful, and there, in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make publication of the Premises, that all persons concerned may have notice thereof and give obedience 〈◊〉 to, as they will be answerable The which to do. We commit to you, conjunctly and severally, Our full power, by their Our L●●ters, delivering them by you, duly execute, and endorsed again to the Bearer.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh, the twenty fourth day of April, One thousand six hundred eighty and four. And of Our Reign, the thirtieth and sixth Year. 1684. Per actum Dominorum Secreti Concilij. WILLIAM. PATERSON, Cls. Sti. Concilij. 
 GOD save the KING.   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1684.